These lifestyle factors increase liver cancer risk

Located on the upper right side of your body just beneath your diaphragm, your liver aids digestion, converts fats into energy, regulates your cholesterol levels and breaks down toxins like drugs and alcohol, among other things.

Amazingly, the liver can also regenerate itself! It grows back to its original size if there’s at least 25 percent of a healthy liver remaining.

It’s a real workhorse, and so vital to our overall bodily function. Unfortunately, the liver can fall victim to some diseases, including cancer.

While it isn’t the most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States, liver cancer has become the fastest-increasing cause of death in the U.S. The number of people diagnosed with liver cancer has tripled in the last 40 years.

Conditions and lifestyles that can cause liver disease are factors driving this increase, such as obesity, smoking and heavy alcohol use.

The causes of liver cancer aren’t all known, but a main risk factor appears to be chronic infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C.